A black box, also known as a recorder, is a device installed on board aircraft that stores various flight data, sound data and optionally visual data, during the flight. The flight data originates from various sensors present on board the aircraft that collect various flight data, as well as from computers that supply flight parameters.
The data stored in a black box also comprises audio recordings and optionally video recordings of the activity inside the cockpit (discussions between crew members, etc.).
Such black boxes are generally orange in colour and fitted with a radio transmitter so that they can be located more easily, for example, following an air disaster.
However, the recovery of these black boxes following an air disaster is very complex, particularly because the great majority of the earth's surface has an uneven topology.
The recovery of black boxes from the bottom of the ocean or in crevasses within mountain chains is in fact very difficult.
However, the data contained in these devices is very important, even vital, for finding out the causes of an air disaster and working to better deal with the cause with a view to preventing the recurrence of the same type of disaster.